Wrenched
by tinx-r
Summary: Vietnam. Nick asks Cody to give him a hand... Sequel to Finding the Way


Cody Allen sat in the mess-tent, contemplating the untouched food on the plate in front of him. Twelve short hours ago he'd had his first real taste of combat: his patrol had been ambushed a couple of miles from camp. He'd seen the guys he'd gone out with die.

He didn't know how or why he hadn't died himself.

All night the clatter of his gun had echoed in his ears; every time he'd drifted near to sleep he'd jerked awake, feeling it kick in his hands. He shivered. He didn't know how a soldier was supposed to feel, but one thing he was sure of, it wasn't the creeping nausea that was knotting his gut. It wasn't this numb horror that made him want to slam his head against the wall, just to find out if he could still feel at all. Impatiently, he pushed his plate away and stood up.

He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder, and spun around, heart racing.

"Allen. I was looking for you, man."

Cody took a deep breath and nodded, eyes fixed on the man who still gripped his shoulder. Ryder, the young officer who'd found them both a way out of the jungle yesterday. "Oh - hey, Ryder."

"The Huey I was flyin' last Friday was sounding damned rough. Gonna give her a check-up, bit of TLC, see what I find. I could use a hand, and I thought maybe you didn't have anything better to do?" Ryder's eyes were on his, intense and searching, and Cody blinked and dropped his gaze.

"I - sure." Cody hesitated. He could still feel the pilot's eyes on him. "I'll help, but - I'm not a mechanic, Ryder. And I don't know anything about choppers, so - maybe I wont be any use?" Cody raised his eyes to Ryder's face and his gut knotted again as he met the intense blue eyes.

"You know a wrench from a screwdriver?" Ryder grinned, a grin that lit up his face and Cody was smiling in return before he knew what he was doing.

"Sure." Cody nodded, feeling a burst of warmth start in his chest and dispel a little of his fear and pain. He realized, suddenly, that working on the chopper with Ryder was something he badly wanted to do. "I'd like to help," he said quietly.

"Good." Ryder released his shoulder with a friendly pat. His eyes still held Cody's, measuring, asking a question Cody didn't quite understand.

Cody looked back at him, a little nervously, and ran his tongue over his lips. _'Blue eyes,'_ he thought inconsequently. _'He looks Italian, but he's got blue eyes.'_

"Come on, man." Turning away, Ryder headed out of the tent.

Cody watched his departing back for a moment. _'Fuck,'_ he thought._ 'I just hope I'm some damned use.'_ With a sigh, he followed the young lieutenant out into the swelter.

* * *

Arm-deep in the Huey's guts, Nick looked over his shoulder at where Cody squatted over the toolbox. "Pass me that wrench again, man."

Cody complied. "Ryder, how come you're doing this? Don't we have mechanics out here?" he asked idly.

Nick made a face, struggling with something inside the engine. Suddenly he grinned and sat up, pulling his grease-covered arm out of the hatch, clasping a metal part. "That's got it," he said in satisfaction. "And, we got mechanics, sure. I don't have to do this. It's just - it's better than sitting around thinking, you know? It's - " he paused and looked up at the oppressive, green-tinged sky. "These machines, they're clean. Treat 'em right, and they'll come through for you." He shook his head, and turned to look at Cody. "And forget this Ryder bullshit, huh? I'm Nick." He dropped the part, wiped his hand on his pants and held it out to Cody.

Cody gripped it hard, and met Nick's eyes. "Cody."

"Pleased to meet you." Nick grinned at Cody, watching an answering smile banish some of the shadows lurking in his eyes. "And you know a screwdriver from a wrench. What else can you do?"

"I can surf. Sail a boat," Cody offered.

"Yeah? I surf, too. Never sailed a boat though. Prefer these." Nick gestured to the Huey.

Cody looked at the chopper then back at Nick and nodded. "I'd never been in a chopper, not til I joined up," he said quietly. He looked at the chopper part on the ground and bent and picked it up. "What's wrong with this?"

"Casing's burred. Feel that?" Nick laid his hand over Cody's, guiding his fingers to the sharp area that had come in contact with the fan.

Cody flinched and looked up at him, blue eyes wide and scared. "What now?"

Nick sighed, wishing he could think of something to say to wipe away the fear in Cody's eyes. "I'll give this a file and it'll be good as new," he muttered instead. He picked up the tool and took the part out of Cody's hands.

Cody watched him work and Nick was happy to see the fear in Cody's eyes recede a notch. He finished and straightened up. "Give me a hand to put it back?"

"Sure," Cody agreed, and Nick guided him into position next to the gaping hole over the chopper's engine.

"You a Cubs fan?" he asked.

"No way, buddy, Padres!" Cody grinned. "Kirby's a genius, Nick."

"Some people think so." Nick nodded and squeezed Cody's shoulder. "I'm not one of them, man. Guy can barely tie his shoelaces, let alone pitch." He hid a smile as Cody started expounding the virtues of his team. At least while he was talking baseball, he wasn't thinking about the nightmare they'd walked into yesterday, or worse, the possibility of doing the same again today.

Nick slid one arm back into the depths of the Huey's engine and gestured to Cody. Cody paused in mid-speech and looked blank for a moment, then grinned and passed Nick the casing he'd been working on. Nick grinned back.

Cody picked up the wrench and looked at Nick enquiringly. Nick nodded, an expression of concentration on his face as he fitted the part. "Reach in past me, Cody, and tighten that fitting, okay?"

"Okay." Cody moved to comply, reaching into the cramped space, his shoulder jostling Nick's as he did so. He froze, looking at Nick.

Nick smiled at him encouragingly. "Got it, man?"

"Yeah." Cody withdrew his arm and watched as Nick slotted the engine cover back into place. "Are we done?"

Nick turned back to him. "Yeah."

Cody nodded and reached for a rag. He slowly wiped his hands and then the tool, and Nick saw the haunted look returning to his eyes. "I'll see you later on, then, huh?" He passed the rag to Nick.

"Thanks." Nick wiped his hands and grinned at Cody. "You wanna get some coffee, tell me some more about how Kirby's the second coming?"

He watched in satisfaction as a smile spread across Cody's face, chasing the shadows from his eyes. "Nick, buddy, that sounds great. The Cubs have got no-one to touch him, believe me." Cody picked up the toolbox.

"Pappas. That's the guy for me, Cody." Nick slung an arm across his shoulders. "And once I make my mind up about someone, man, I stick with 'em. That's what it's all about, you know?"


End file.
